“You always go all in and put your whole heart into whatever you do.” I laugh a little in the recording. “It isn’t in you to half ass anything. But you know what? That’s my favorite part. Life with you has been such an adventure.” My voice cracks a little in the recording. “I’m sorry it wasn’t always happy for you… but…”
I sit next to him and hold his hand.
“It’s made you who you are, Conner Michael Montgomery. All the good. All the bad. All the pain and the joy. Those ingredients made you exactly who you are today, and I wouldn’t want to change a single thing about you, my perfect husband.”
He won’t look at me. He’s staring straight ahead, hopefully letting my words sink in.
“I promise to love you on your worst days and your best. It’s okay if we fight. It’s okay if we’re quiet. And it’s okay if there are days you want to scream. It’s okay tofeel, Conner. Nothing’s going to hurt you anymore. You aren’t going to suffocate under the weight of hate ever again. It’s over now. So breathe, my love. I’ll be your oxygen. If you falter, I’ll be your rock. That’s what best friends…soul mates… are for. I love you, Conner.”
My recording stops, and he pinches the bridge of his nose, his eyes squeezing shut.
“Breathe,” I whisper in his ear, rubbing his back. “Just… breathe.”
Conner exhales and tips his head up. A tear sails down his face.
It’s the last one he’ll ever shed in sadness. I’ll make sure of it.
